Debate on conflict journalists' life-threatening work organised on June 19, two war correspondents as special guests

 The Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science of the University of Bucharest is organizing on Thursday in partnership with Romania's Francophone Media and Journalists Association the debate 'Breaking Spotlight Event! Between Truth and Deadly Risks: War Correspondents in Ukraine Facing Threats to Life and Family', with war correspondents Radu Hossu and Mircea Barbu as special guests.The debate will take place on Thursday starting 5:00 PM at the Rectorate of the University of Bucharest and is part of the proceedings of the International Conference "Media and Communication Theory and Practice" organized by the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science over June 19 - 20, that will see the participation of 90 researchers from 29 universities in 18 countries.''The professional environment where journalists and media workers carry out their activity has witnessed a constant and fast-paced degradation in recent years. The findings of the international research Worlds of Journalism Study 2021 - 2023 conducted in Romania by professors of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science show that 10.4% of Romanian journalists declared that they are 'often' and 'very often' victims of 'hate speech and humiliation', 8.7% reported having been targeted by 'public discrediting', and 3.3% said that the pressure put on them takes the form of 'legal actions'. 37 journalists have been killed worldwide since the beginning of this year, one every four and a half days, with 30 deaths having already been confirmed as occurring in the line of duty through murder, during a shootout or as a result of a dangerous activity,'' a release notes.Also, The European Federation of Journalists states that "journalists and media workers have always been considered 'high-risk' due to the nature of their work" and "face pervasive risks to their health and safety, whether at the workplace or in more dangerous or volatile environments."In this increasingly difficult and risky climate for journalists, the debate organized by the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science aims to bring to the attention of the general public, authorities and political decision-makers the threats faced by journalists while exercising their profession, the cited source states.* Radu Hossu is a Ukraine war correspondent and a humanitarian activist. He has been accredited since May 2022 by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and works as an embedded journalist. Over time, he has raised over 900,000 euros from his community of readers and followers, from which he has donated to the frontline, among others, over 20 4x4 off-road vehicles, 10 drones, 2 military trucks, 5 ambulances, a fire engine, a mobile military hospital, 30 generators and over 40 tons of food, medicine and hygiene aid. He has been the target of over 3,000 threats, including death threats, and on June 10, 2025 he filed a complaint with the police after getting a message menacing harm to his wife unless he commits suicide.* Mircea Barbu is a journalist and war correspondent, who has been covering conflict in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and Gaza. On October 24, 2024 a Russian court arrested him in absentia and subsequently put him on an internationally wanted list for fraudulent border crossing while reporting from the frontline. His coverage of the Tate brothers, who are under investigation in Romania and the United Kingdom on dozens of charges, including rape, human trafficking and bodily harm, has drawn him countless direct threats from them and their followers on social media.The debate will be in English, and admission is free, subject to availability.